Snowden nominated for peace prize

A former Norwegian minister nominated fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden for the Nobel Peace Prize.

In a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee former Socialist Left Party minister Baard Vegar Solhjell said that Snowden had contributed to revealing the extreme level of surveillance by nations against other nations and of citizens.

"Snowden contributed to people knowing about what has happened and spurring public debate" on trust in government, which he said was "a fundamental requirement for peace".

In the letter Solhjell and his party colleague Snorre Valen said that they do not necessarily condone or support all of Snowden’s disclosures, but praised him for revealing the "nature and technological prowess of modern surveillance". They added that Snowden's actions have "led to the reintroduction of trust and transparency as a leading principle in global security policies".

Snowden, who is currently living in Russia, applied for asylum in several countries, including Norway, last summer.